What Are They Hiding? Ocean Springs Leaders Attack Public’s Right to Documents

OCEAN SPRINGS, MS – Public records requests are the residents’ doorway to holding government officials accountable, but here in Ocean Springs, city officials are doing their best to slam that door shut.

A public records request is a legal tool that allows any citizen to access government documents, emails, and financial records, ensuring transparency and accountability in public offices.

Instead of welcoming transparency, Ocean Springs officials are attacking those who request records, smearing citizens who seek information, and inflating numbers to create a false narrative that records requests are a burden.

Their goal isn’t efficiency — it’s to make people afraid to ask questions.

Mayor Sets the Tone on Secrecy

In a recent phone call, Mayor Kenny Holloway expressed disdain for records requests, blaming them for interfering with city operations. “This whole city is tired and worn out and can hardly do the business of running the city because of all of this social media and all these public records requests,” the mayor said, making it known that questioning his actions is something seen as taboo in his eyes.

Another recording of Holloway revealed him labeling a particular resident as an enemy simply for asking to see records that are supposed to be accessible to the public.

“So this right here is public enemy number one, Julia Illane,” he said as he drove past her house. “She puts public records requests in two or three times a week just trying to catch us doing something.”

But catching public officials “doing something” is why public access laws exist. They are designed to hold public officials accountable for their actions. Even though, in this town, officials don’t seem to like that.

Aldermen Follow Mayor’s Lead

Just last week, Alderman Jennifer Burgess followed the mayor’s lead when she chastised this reporter for three public records requests that mentioned her name. “He submits Public Records Requests for all kinds of my stuff (emails, texts, my work order spreadsheet). No rhyme or reason,” she wrote on Facebook.

This kind of public wrist slap sends a chilling effect to all residents, telling them: if you try to hold me accountable as a public official, I will embarrass you publicly.

Alderman Rickey Authement took a different approach. Instead of a public tongue lashing, he was caught on tape wanting to find legal loopholes to try and stop residents from gaining access to public documents.

“Our city attorney has got to come up with something to start combating all this Save Ocean Springs,” he said of a local civic organization that uses public records requests to locate and publish controversial findings.

City Hall’s Unlawful Stonewalling

It’s not just elected officials trying to keep the public in the dark — the City Clerk’s office and City Attorney have turned stonewalling into an art form, sidestepping transparency like a well rehearsed two-step.

Last month, a public records request seeking the campaign donations and expenditures of Mayor Holloway resulted in a redacted document that hid the addresses of donors, making it impossible to know what money was coming from outside the city. The City Clerk’s office claimed it was done at the direction of the City Attorney. It took a formal appeal to correct the issue and force the city to provide information they were legally required to hand over.

This week, the City Clerk’s office failed to include pages in a public records request regarding the shutdown of the Hanshaw Road Bridge. While the city did provide two pages of a letter from the state that ordered Ocean Springs to shut down the bridge, it failed to provide the remaining four pages that broke down the reasons for the order and included shocking pictures of bridge pilings that were dangerously close to collapsing.

Again, it took a formal appeal process to eventually gain access to documents the city was legally obligated to provide.

These aren’t the only times City Hall has failed to lawfully hand over public documents or address the stonewalling. Several denial appeals made by GC Wire over the last year have gone unanswered.

In a recent phone call, City Attorney Robert Wilkinson exaggerated the number of requests for documents the city was receiving. Wilkinson said over 400 requests had come in this year alone.

A public records request was ironically used to show that claim was greatly exaggerated. Documents provided by City Hall revealed only 89 requests came in over the first two months of the year, showing that Wilkinson’s claim was exaggerated by more than 200 percent.

Examples of Public Records Requests that Made a Difference

Across the country, transparency laws have led to major investigative breakthroughs.

In Michigan, public records exposed that state officials knew about the Flint water contamination long before taking action. In the Jeffrey Epstein case, public records unearthed documents proving that government agencies failed to act despite numerous warnings. Police misconduct records obtained through records requests have revealed years of hidden abuses in law enforcement agencies nationwide.

In Ocean Springs, public records requests have uncovered serious issues and exposed the truth behind statements made by city officials. Despite what Burgess and Holloway want residents to believe, these requests have played a critical role in exposing some of the past year’s biggest scandals.

Public records requests were crucial in uncovering the city’s mishandling of consulting contracts. A request revealed that two separate contracts with Holloway political donors were approved without public debate — one in an executive session, potentially violating Mississippi’s Open Meetings Act, and another slipped into the consent agenda, ensuring zero public discussion. Both contracts lacked a fixed price, resulting in skyrocketing costs far beyond what taxpayers were originally told. The annexation study alone ended up costing taxpayers 1,141 percent more than the public was led to believe.

Another scandal exposed through public records was the city’s attempt to hide details of a deal with Securix, a company that used cameras to fine uninsured motorists. Documents obtained were used to show that the deal was pitched behind closed doors by City Attorney Robert Wilkinson and then-Police Chief Mark Dunston. Unlike other cities that held public hearings on the matter, Ocean Springs officials discussed the proposal in an executive session, keeping it hidden from the public. Further investigation revealed both Wilkinson and Dunston had significant financial interests in the company being pitched to elected officials.

Recent public records requests revealed that city officials misled the public by claiming they had no idea why the state ordered the Hanshaw Road Bridge closed. Documents obtained both from the city and state revealed Ocean Springs officials had been warned about the failing bridge for years and were well informed that state authorities recommended replacement.

Ongoing investigations into several other controversies are also relying heavily on documents obtained through public records requests.

Everyone Has a Right to See Government Documents

Anyone can file a public records request — you don’t need to be a journalist, politician, or activist. Mississippi law gives every resident the right to access government documents, ensuring transparency in public affairs. These records belong to the people, not the politicians.

Filing a request is simple. The city has seven business days to respond by providing the records, denying the request with legal justification, or requesting more time. If wrongly denied, residents can appeal to the Mississippi Ethics Commission.

To submit a request, visit this link. Public records are a vital tool for keeping government accountable.

Keep Pushing Back

The next time an official complains about public records requests, residents should ask themselves one simple question: What are they trying to hide?

Ocean Springs officials aren’t pushing back against transparency because it’s a burden — they’re pushing back because it keeps exposing their actions. From contracts approved behind closed doors and concealed campaign donations to misleading the public about failing infrastructure, public records requests have consistently revealed the truth behind the carefully crafted narratives coming out of City Hall.

City leaders aren’t trying to protect public resources — they’re trying to protect themselves from scrutiny. And as recent reporting has shown, there’s plenty they would prefer to keep hidden.